Manager, Estate Management - Portfolio Management Office (PMO)

• Employment Type: Continuing, Full-time, 35 hours per week opportunity
• Remuneration: Level 9 – from $153,933 plus 17% superannuation and leave loading
• Location: Kensington, NSW

About UNSW

At UNSW, we pride ourselves on being a workplace where the best people come to do their best work. We aspire to be Australia’s global university, improving and transforming lives through excellence in research, outstanding education and a commitment to advancing a just society.

About Estate Management

Estate Management plays a central role in supporting UNSW’s teaching, research and community mission by planning, developing and maintaining a safe, sustainable and high-performing University estate. With a significant pipeline of capital works, infrastructure, renewal and maintenance initiatives underway, the team is delivering projects that will shape the future learning, research and workplace environment across UNSW’s campuses. Explore UNSW’s current and future campus development projects to learn more about the scale and impact of this work.

Why your role matters

UNSW is establishing a dedicated Portfolio Management Office to strengthen how we plan, prioritise and deliver a significant program of capital works, infrastructure and maintenance across the University estate.

As Manager, Estate Management Portfolio Management Office, you will lead this function and help create the standards, insight and delivery discipline needed to support confident investment and better project outcomes. You will work with senior leaders, project sponsors, delivery teams and governance partners to improve portfolio visibility, strengthen decision-making and build capability across Estate Management.

This is an opportunity for an experienced property, infrastructure, capital works or PMO leader to make a visible contribution to a complex and nationally recognised university environment.

About the Role

The Manager, Estate Management Portfolio Management Office will establish and lead the PMO, bringing greater consistency, transparency and strategic insight to the portfolio. You will help leaders understand performance, investment priorities, emerging risks and delivery capacity, while ensuring projects and maintenance activity are planned and managed through clear, practical standards.

Reporting to the Director, Estate Management Operations, you will lead a small team and work across the organisation to influence better decisions, strengthen delivery maturity and support safe, efficient and value-focused outcomes across the University estate.

The successful applicant will be required to undertake and have experience in the following areas of expertise:

• Establish, direct and continuously develop the Estate Management PMO operating model, remit, tools and practices.
• Set and embed portfolio-wide standards for project planning, cost control, reporting, change management and benefits realisation.
• Lead portfolio planning and prioritisation processes aligned with Estate Management strategy and funding constraints.
• Deliver accurate, decision-focused reporting and strategic insights to provide clear visibility over performance, trends and emerging risks.
• Define and maintain project frameworks and templates aligned with UNSW enterprise requirements, maintaining clear interfaces with governance and assurance functions.
• Oversee maintenance planning, scheduling and contractor resource allocation to ensure safe, compliant and efficient estate delivery.
• Build strong stakeholder relationships while fostering a culture of accountability, transparency, disciplined delivery and capability building.

About You

You are an experienced portfolio, program, property, infrastructure or capital works leader who can bring structure and insight to a complex delivery environment. You are comfortable working at both strategic and operational levels and can turn detailed portfolio information into clear advice for senior decision-makers.

• Relevant tertiary qualification combined with substantial practical experience, or equivalent professional capability.
• Experience in property, infrastructure, capital works, facilities, construction or another complex asset environment.
• Demonstrated senior experience leading a PMO, portfolio or program delivery function within a complex organisation.
• Highly developed stakeholder engagement, influencing and communication skills, including the ability to work effectively with senior leaders and executives.
• Strong expertise in portfolio planning, delivery governance, performance tracking and benefits realisation.
• Proven track record of scaling project delivery maturity, frameworks and organisational capability.
• Comprehensive knowledge of the interface between project delivery, governance, risk management and assurance.
• The ability to manage competing priorities and translate complex portfolio information into clear insights and practical advice.

For further information on the role & responsibilities, please refer to the Position Description

How to Apply: Submit your CV & cover letter detailing your interest and suitability for the job (as per the skills & experience bullet points in the Position Description) before Tuesday 20 October by 11:55pm.

Please note: Sponsorship is not available for this role, valid Australian working rights are required on application.

UNSW Benefits and Culture: People are at the core of everything we do. We recognise it is the contributions of our staff who make UNSW one of the best universities in Australia and the world. Our benefits include:

• Flexible Working Options (work from home, flexible hours etc)
• Additional 3 days leave during December festive period.
• Career development opportunities
• Up to 50% discount on UNSW courses
• Flexible 17% Superannuation contributions, additional leave-loading payments and salary sacrifice.
• Discounts and entitlements (retail, education, fitness passport)

UNSW is committed to equity diversity and inclusion. Applications from women, people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, those living with disabilities, members of the LGBTIQ+ community; and people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, are encouraged. UNSW provides workplace adjustments for people with disability, and access to flexible work options for eligible staff.

Pre-Employment Checks

Aligned with UNSW’s focus on cultivating a workplace defined by safety, ethical conduct, and strong integrity preferred candidates will be required to participate in a combination of pre-employment checks relevant to the role they have applied for.

These pre-employment checks may include a combination of some of the following checks:-

• National and International Criminal history checks
• Entitlement to work and ID checks
• Working With Children Checks
• Completion of a Gender-Based Violence Prevention Declaration
• Verification of relevant qualifications
• Verification of relevant professional membership
• Employment history and reference checks
• Financial responsibility assessments/checks.
• Medical Checks and Assessments

Compliance with the necessary combination of these checks is a condition of employment at UNSW.